Graham Reid | | <1 min read
Is there a more sad song in the retrospect than this, after Tupac (assailants "unknown") was gunned down?
The great poet of rap gets into a beautiful low, confidently cruising but melancholy groove while giving himself some big-ups because, after all, those punk police have passed on and now we need to picture him at the top of his game . . .
Yeah. Rolling . . .
Huh. Yeah.
All the hood friends are there ("I'm cool as a muthafugga") and the ladies are there with their sad sista refrain. The boasters are there importing keys . . .
Yeah? All good. All on top . . .
On top. Rolling.
Oh yeah. Cool as a muthafugger, I'mma get mine.
And the coloured girls say . . . .
Picture me rolling . . .
"You all ready for me", says Tupac . . . and then runs down the list . . . can ya'all see me from them cellblocks/you the DA/you punk police . . .?
Boasting beautifully about being outside, about beating them all . . . .
"Are you all ready for me ..............."
"Can you see me? Am I clear to ya? Free like OJ all day . . ."
Yeah.
Then . . . . .
What we know. Shot.
"Anytime you wanna see me again, on this track right here," he says at the end.
"Close your eyes, picture me rolling . . . ."
Sad.
Dead within weeks of recording this.
Clear enough for ya?
.
For more on-offs or songs with an interesting back-story see From the Vaults.
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